Subject: [Tweeters] Red-necked Stint at Dungeness
Date: Jul 28 11:22:56 2005
From: bboek at olympus.net - bboek at olympus.net


Hello, Tweeters,

Today, Th., 7/28, at about 9:20 a.m., the Shorebird and Gull Class from
the Dungeness River Audubon Center spotted a slightly faded
alternate-plumaged Red-necked Stint on the mudflat just west of 3 Crabs
Restaurant. It foraged within 50 feet of us with a mixed flock of
other peeps, allowing excellent comparisons of sizes, plumages, and
behaviors.

We watched it for about 10 minutes, giving us time for digiscoping and
study. After 10 minutes it unfortunately flew west out of sight around
the corner by the mouth of the Dungeness River, not seen again. Some
of my students in the class took reasonably good photos that should
show field marks.

It really stuck out like a sore thumb, with unstreaked rufous wash all
across the face, foreneck, and upper breast, plus rufous hints in
feathers in the crown and back. It was small, marginally bigger than
the Least Sandpipers with it, but slightly smaller than juvenile
Westerns feeding nearby. Legs were black, bill black and fairly short
and straight.

In case you were wondering (as we know you are) it was clearly not one
of the other common peeps that show rufous in alternate plumage, such
as Westerns or Sanderlings.

Other shorebirds nearby - Least, Western, and Semipalmated Sandpipers,
Marbled Godwit, Short-billed Dowitchers, and Black-bellied Plovers.

It might be a tough one to see again, but it might be worth a try
tomorrow during the rising tide in the morning.

Bob Boekelheide
Sequim